Convertible body for automobiles



Nov. 24,1925. 1,563,023

\ P. H. GASKINS CONVERTIBLE BODY FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 6, 1923INVENTOR P 5" PM Gas/51218.

A TTOR NE YS Patented New, 242,

unrrsn stare insane PALEMON H. GASKINS, Ol JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

CONVERTIBLE BODY FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed. August 6, 1323.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, PALEMON I-I. GASKINS,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jacksonville, in thecounty of Duvall and State of Florida, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Convertible Bodies for Automobiles, of which thefollow ing is a specification.

'lhisinvention relates to a convertible body for automobiles, and aimsto provide a body of this character which can be readily and easilyconverted from an open to a closed type of body.

Another object is to provide a device of this character and having theforegoing advantages and capacities and wherein the glass panels and theother parts are firmly andrigidly supported when the car has beenconverted into a closed type of construction without liability of theparts breaking or being injured, and without the vibration ordinarilyset up in the car being liable to produce chattering of the glass.

Another object is to provide adevice of this character which is ofsimple and durable construction, reliable in operation, attractive inappearance, and easy and com- 1;)arative1y inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts which will behereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view showing a car bodyconstructed in accord ance with the present invention, with the partsshmvn in full lines as when positioned to provide an open type of varbody, the position of the parts when providing a closed type of car bodybeing indicated by dotted lines,

Figure 2 is a view partly in horizontal section and partly in top planof a portion of one side of a car body and showing the parts of thepresent invention as positioned when providing a closed type of carbody,

Figure?) is a detail view of, the swingable stanchion,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the constructionof the extensible stanchion, and

Serial No. 655,970.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view in section on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1;

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shownthe preferred. embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designatesthe car body which is supported on the frame in the conventional manner.On each side of the car body and intermediatethe ends thereof, a post 11upstands and is brace-d and supported by an angle iron 12 which framesthe post and extends from one post to the other below the floor of thecar. On each side of the car body, doors designated at 13 and 1 4 areprovided, the door 13 being hinged to the car body as at 15, and thedoor 1 1 being hinged as at 16 to the post 11. As thus far described,the construction is such as is widely employed on certain types-of cars.

The present invention is concerned with the means for mounting the glasspanels des- 7 ignated at 17 and 18 on the doors 13 and l l in suchmanner that they may be entirely concealed within the doors to providean open type of car or in such manner that they may be disposed abovethe doors, and together with the doors, enclose the compartments of thecar to provide a closed type of body construction. The means employedfor so mounting the panels 17 and 18 are identical, so that a commondescription will apply to both.

The panels 17 and 18, when the car is to be converted into an opentype,are disposed in the hollow doors 13 and 14 in accordance with the usualpractice Each of such glass panels is carried by a channel member 20which is constructed of metal. Preferably, however, a strip of felt 21,(see Figure 2), is interposed between, the channel member 2t) and theglass engaged thereby. 20 forms one part or member of an extensiblestanchion, the other member ofwhich is con stituted by a second channel22 into which the channel 20 telescopes or slidably tits, The slidingmovement of the channel 20 relative to the channel 22 is limited by a"pin 23 fixed to the channel 20 and operating in a longitudinal slot 24provided'in one of the flanges of the channel 22. The channel 22 isitself fitted for vertical sliding movement in the compartment of thedoor, and in order to constrain this channel member 22 to verticalsliding movement, one of its flanges is The channel fprovided with aguide rib 25 which is slidone of the walls of the door.

the door to limit the upward movement of the channel member 22.

On the opposite side 01 the door ironi the extensible stanchion, aswlngable stanchion 30. is pivotally mounted, as indicated at 31.

This swingable stanchion is also in the form of a channel as clearlyshown in Figures 2 and 3, and its pivotal mounting on the door 1 is suchthat itcan swing from a horizontal position in which it fits in theupper open end of the compartment of the door to a vertical position 1nwhich its longitudinal axis is alined with the axis of swing of thedoor.

hen in its vertical position, the upper end of the channel is releasablysecured in a resilient and yieldable socket 33 constructed of springmetal and having fingers 3st which fit around the upper end of thechannel 30 to hold the same against lateral displacement whilepermitting rotary or angular movement thereof. It is to be understoodthat the swingable stanchion 30 is of such length that it projects abovethe glass panel and it is the projecting portion of the stanchion thatis engaged in the socket 33.

lVhen the car is to be converted from an open car to a closed car, thestanchion 30 is swung from its horizontal position to its verticalposition, in which it is engaged in the spring socket 33. Then when theglass panel is raised or slid upwardly, it slides in the channel 30.Upward movement of the panel is permitted by the action of theextensible stanchion made up of the channel members 20 and 22, as thechannel member 20 first slides relative to the channel member 22, andthe channel member 22 next slides relatively to the door. It is to beunderstood that the usual hand crank operated means is provided forraising and lowering the closed panel, this means usually comprising anele ment connected with the glass panel and operated by a pinion andother suitable gearing from the hand crank. hen the panels are in. theirupper position to close the car, they are firmly and rigidly support edby the extensible stanchion and by the swingable stanchion. Theextensible stanchion has a firm and strong support or bear ing in thedoor against lateral or longitudinal displacement, and the swingablestanchion is securely connected to the door and is firmly supported inthe socket 33. As the socket 33 is in vertical alinementwith the hingesofthe door the door may be readily opened and closed when the glasspanels are elevated and the car has been converted into a closed type.Now when the panels have been lowered and the swingable stanchions moveddown onto the tops of the door, the

car is entirely open and no posts or obstruc' tions interfere with theview or with the open features of the car.

it is to be understood that one of the sides of each door is removableto permit of the assembly of the parts and also that the meansconventionally employed for raising and lowerin the panels or glasspanes also hold them i adjuster position.

I claim 1. A convertible automobile body having a door provided with asliding glass panel, an extensiblestanchion mounted on the door andconnected with one side of the sliding glass panel, a swingablestanchion engaging with the opposite side of the panel in the raisedposition thereoi and 'loldable down over the top of the panel in thelower position thereot', and a socket aligned with the axis of swing oithe door and adapted to rotatably receive theswingable stanchion whenthe same is engaged with the side ot the glass panel.

2. A convertible auton'iobile body having a door provided with a slidingglass panel, and a swingable stanchion pivoted at one end to one side ofthe door and toldable down against. the top of the door when the slidingglass panel is contained therein, and adapted to be positionedvertically above the door at one side thereot to receive one side 01 theglass panel when the same is disposed above the door, and a socketalined with the axis of swing of the door and. adapted to rotatablyreceive the upper end of the stanchion when the same is positionedvertically above the door.

3. A convertible automobile body l'iaving a door provided with a slidingglass panel, an extensible stanchion including an inner channel memberengaged with one side of the glass panel. an outer channel member inwhich the inner channel member is fitted for limited slidingmovement.the outer channel member being mounted for limited slid ing movement inthe door. and a swinsrablc channel stanchion cusraogeable with the onposite side of the panel in the raised posi tion thereof. and loldablcdown over the top of the panel in the lower position tl'iereol. and asocket alined with the axis of swing of the door and adapted torotatably receive the swingabl-e stanchion when the some is. engagedwith the glass Janel.

i. A convertible automobile body having a door provided with a slidingpanel. an extensible stanchion including' an inner channel memberengaged with one side of a glass panel, an outer channel member in whichthe inner channel member is slidably fitted, means for limiting therelative sliding' movement of the channel members, the outer channelmember being mounted for limited sliding movement in the door, saidouter channel member having a lateral guide ill? rib, a door having aslot in which the lateral guide rib is slidably fitted, a swingablechannel stanchion pivoted at one end to the door and foldable downagainst the top of the door when the sliding glass panel is containedtherein, and adapted to be positioned vertically Within the door at theside thereof to receive the side of the glass panel opposite thatengaged by the extensible stanchion When the glass panel is disposedabove the door, and a resilient socket mounted on the body and alinedwith the axis of swing of the door and adapted to i'otatably receivingthe upper end of the swingable stanchion when the same is engaged by theglass panel. PALEMON H. GASKINS.

